This exciting fly fishing vacation offers not only excellent fishing in pristine northern waters, but also an opportunity to see one of the most scenic drives in all of Canada
Duration: 8 Days
Grading:EASYMax Group Size: 6
Type:SMALL GROUPPrices from: £2457
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Tour Overview
This exciting fly fishing vacation offers not only excellent fishing in pristine northern waters, but also an opportunity to see one of the most scenic drives in all of Canada. First on the North Klondike and then on the Dempster Highway, we will travel all the way from Whitehorse to the town of Inuvik, located on the mighty Mackenzie River in the North West Territories. Along this drive we will pass through boreal forest, two mountain ranges, sub-arctic tundra and then through one of the largest wetlands in Canada, the Mackenzie Delta. When the road ends, we do not. Our adventure includes a scenic float plane flight to the community of Tuktoyaktuk on the arctic coast, with stunning views of the Mackenzie Delta and the Beaufort Sea.
On this fishing trip of a life-time, we experience an incredible range of fishing habitat with opportunities to pursue arctic grayling, lake trout, dolly varden, whitefish, inconnu and northern pike. This trip is timed to coincide with the beautiful fall colours season of the arctic. As we pass through the mountainous and tundra areas, they will be ablaze with a display of crimson, orange and yellow hues. Truly spectacular!
What's Included:
•Transportation from Whitehorse starting on Day and traveling to Inuvik, by Day 8 •Sight-seeing flight from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk •Meals starting lunch Day 1, ending breakfast Day 8 ( except dinner in Dawson City) •Eating utensils, bowls, and mug, and group kitchen equipment •Tents, group camping gear, sleeping cots and sleeping pads •Services of a CFA support guide and a professional fly fishing guide •A fly tying kit with vices, tools and a host of materials will be available for evening tying sessions •All necessary safety equipment
The Tombstone Mountains are in fact a distinct range within the Southern Ogilvie Mountains. They are famous for their stunning topography, jagged ridges and immense vertical faces of imposing rock, some more than 2000 feet high: hence the name “Tombstones”. Its geological history is quite interesting. The Tombstones were not thrust up from the earth due to plate tectonics, as many mountains are, but rather the story of the Tombstones is a darker affair, having its beginning deep in the earth’s crust. Here hot molten-lava surged into cracks in the earth’s crust and then slowly cooled, creating a fine-grained and quite hard rock known as syenite. As time passed the softer sedimentary rock in which the Tombstones cooled, the “overburden” as it’s called, eroded away to slowly reveal the Tombstones, which due to their hardness were better able to resist erosion.
The Tombstone Mountains are situated right at the edge of Beringia, a zone of Alaska and the Yukon that remained ice-free during the periods of glaciation. This ice-free zone was caused by the rain-shadow effect of the tall Costal Mountains of the pacific-northwest. The Tombstones, however, did not escape the ice. The immense sheets of ice scoured the land creating u-shaped valley bottoms and such distinct features as arêtes: thin razor-like ridges formed by the erosive force of parallel valley glaciers.
Modern-day access to the park was made possible by the construction of the Dempster Highway, which was begun in 1959 but not fully completed until 1979. The highway is named after Inspector William Dempster of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police, who headed the search for the infamous Lost Patrol. The Dempster Highway is Canada’s northernmost highway, stretching 671 km (417 miles) to the town of Inuvik, Northwest Territories. It is an engineering triumph. Designers had to pioneer new techniques for building on permafrost, such as laying down a gravel pad 1.5- -2.5m (4-8 feet ) in thickness to insulate the permafrost below from the heat of the short, but sometimes intense, summer. Without this thick layer of insulating gravel the highway would literally sink into the ground. The highway is famous for its stunning fall colours, unsurpassed wilderness, and amazing opportunities to view wildlife.
The Richardson Mountains are situated in the far north of the Yukon. The northern half of the Richardson’s straddles the Yukon/Northwest Territories border, running in a north to south orientation. These barren and wind-swept mountains are considered by cartographers to be a sub-system of the Brooks Range, which is primarily in Alaska. Another range known as the British Mountains in the extreme northwest of the Yukon runs in a west to southeast orientation and joins the two systems. When combined with the British Mountains and Brooks Range the Richardson Mountains are the eastern edge of a crescent-shaped mountain range that spans almost 1400 km (870 miles) to the western coast of Alaska.
The western edge of the Richardson’s are part of an area known as Beringia, which remained glacier-free during the ice-age. The glaciers did not form due to the dry climate created by the rain-shadow effect of the large Coastal Mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Many relic plants inhabit these slopes that are not found elsewhere in the Yukon. The gentle rounded slopes do not show the classic u-shaped valley bottoms of glaciated mountains to the south, which were created by the scouring and gouging power of 3 km thick sheets of ice. Rather they are softened at the edges by a few million years of freezing and thawing and high winds, let still show distinct folds and form v-shaped valleys, typical of non-glaciated mountains.
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Tour Highlights
Itinerary
Day 0: Whitehorse, Yukon
Hopefully you enjoyed your travels and have arrived safely in Whitehorse, the Yukon’s capital city, nestled among the wilderness.
Please arrive in Whitehorse in time for an orientation meeting at 8:30 pm the night before our departure. Guests are responsible for accommodation and meals while in Whitehorse. Whitehorse is a splendid little city and we recommend booking some additional time at either the beginning or the end of your trip to see Whitehorse. If you have not had a chance to purchase a Yukon fishing license, you should do so this evening. Your guides will let you know where they can be purchased.
Day 1: (L, D) Frenchman Lake
Staff will pick you up from your hotels starting at 7:00 am. Participants need to have finished their breakfast by this time. Any final details will be dealt with and we will depart by 8:00 am. Any unnecessary gear or luggage can be left with our staff for lock-up in our secure storage facility. Our drive will take us north from Whitehorse along the Klondike Highway with views of Lake Labarge, Fox Lake and other scenic locations. After about a three-hour drive we will reach Frenchman Lake. Here we will set a camp and head out on the lake for an afternoon of northern pike and trout fishing. We will work the shallows with our large flies and 8 weight rods for pike and also work the edge of deeper water with sinking lines and lighter rods to go after the trout. We will spend the evening around the fire enjoying good food and even better company.
Day 2: (B, L) North Klondike River and Dawson City
In the early morning we will be out on the water fishing, as one of the guides prepares a delicious campfire breakfast. After breakfast we will be on the road again heading north on the Klondike Highway, stopping for a picnic lunch along the way. Once we arrive at the Klondike River, just south of Dawson City, we will launch our raft and commence a floating raft fishing trip down the Klondike River. We will focus on arctic grayling, as we descend the river, working the pools and feeding lanes for these delicious and feisty fish of the north. We will arrive in Dawson by raft, drifting into this historic community by water, just as the stampeders of 1898 did. Our hospitality guide will meet us and take us to our hotel. We will have the remainder of the evening to explore this charismatic frontier community. Dinner is not included tonight so that you can enjoy dining at one of the many delicious local restaurants in Dawson City.
Day 3: (B, L, D) Dempster Highway and Tombstone Territorial Park
After breakfast at the hotel, we will have a few more hours in Dawson City before departing at 11:00 am. We will depart Dawson heading south for a short while before turning northeast on to the famous Dempster Highway: the most northerly reaching highway in Canada. Here we will travel north for an hour to Tombstone Territorial Park Campground. We will set up a comfortable camp for the night, enjoy lunch, visit the Park Visitor Centre and spend the evening fishing for grayling from shore along the North Klondike River, surrounded by the stunning mountain scenery of the Tombstones.
Day 4: (B, L, D) Ogilvie River and Dolly Varden
Today after a delicious breakfast in the campground, we will head north on the Dempster Highway, driving all the way to the Ogilvie River, passing through the scenic Blackstone Uplands and North Ogilvie Mountains. We will set-our tents up, and then embark on an afternoon raft fishing trip down the swift flowing Ogilvie River in search of dolly varden and arctic grayling, fishing the deeper pools from the boat and from shore. Another evening of tales from the river and a delicious meal will round out our day. ( PLEASE NOTE: The water levels in the Ogilvie River fluctuate extensively based on the rainfall of the summer. If water levels are low, we will fish from shore. The road travels alongside the river and provides many locations to access the river.
Day 5: (B, L, D) Ogilvie River and Richardson Mountains
This morning we have time for a second floating run down the Ogilvie River in search of dolly varden, or perhaps a little relaxation in camp, depending on your energy. By early afternoon we will be on our way again north, stopping at the Arctic Circle for a photograph and celebratory toast of Champagne before passing over the lonely and scenic Richardson Mountains. Descending out of the mountains we enter the North West Territories and the Mackenzie River Lowlands. We will cross the Peel River on a ferry and arrive to the small First Nation community of Fort McPherson where we will stay in a hotel for the night. Fort McPherson is the home of the Tetlit Gwich'in First Nation.
Day 6: (B, L, D) TRAVEL NORTH TO INUVIK, SCENIC FLIGHT TO TUKTOYAKTUK VILLAGE ON THE ARCTIC OCEAN
This morning we will head out of Fort McPherson and drive an hour east to the village of Tsiigehtchic, formerly known as Arctic Red River, located on the banks of the mighty Mackenzie River. Here we will cross the Mackenzie on a ferry boat and continue northwards to Inuvik, the northern terminus of the Dempster Highway. We will arrrive to Inuvik by early afternoon, check into our cabins at The Arctic Chalet, and embark on a scenic 40-minute flight northward over the Mackenzie Delta, arriving to the Inuvialuit community of Tuktoyaktuk. Here we will have a two-hour guided walking tour of this arctic community perched on the edge of the Beaufort Sea, before catching our return flight to Inuvik. After dinner back at our cabin, we will have a chance to spend time with our hosts, Judi and Olav Falsnes. Olav is more than happy to share with us tales and artifacts of his many decades working in the arctic as a float plane pilot, often refered to as a "Busth Pilot". If you still have the energy, you can also meet the white huskies that call The Arctic Chalet their home. These energetic embassadors of the north will show you a welcome with wagging tails and doggy kisses!
Day 7: (B, L, D) Mackenzie River Day Trip
Today, after and early breakfast we will meet our local river guide and head out for a day of fishing on the mighty Mackenzie River Delta. Our efforts will be focus on Inconnu, known to grow to 30 lbs in the Delta and on Northern Pike, also quite large in the Delta. We will spend a full day out on the river in search of our prey, enjoying a shore lunch, hopefully with some fresh fish. We will return to our accommodations at The Arctic Chalet in Inuvik. After freshening up, we will go out to a local Inuvik restaurant for a celebratory final dinner and our last evening of fishing stories: tales about the ones we caught and the even bigger ones that got away! Dinner is included ( minus alcoholic beaverages )
Day 8: (B) Travel
Today after breakfast, our scenic and exciting fishing journey together comes to an end. Your Cabin Fever Adventures guide will start the long drive home to Whitehorse while most guests will choose to begin their journey homeward with flights departing Inuvik in the afternoon. Inuvik is well connected to southern Canada with flights to Whitehorse, Edmonton and Yellowknife. A transfer from The Arctic Chalet to the airport is included.
cost from USD 3986 + 5% GST ( Double Occupancy) or 4286 + 5% GST ( Single Occupancy)
custom dates may be arranged
8
£2457.00
Kind Points:552
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Nature & Kind Factor
Our Trusted Partner's Responsible and Sustainable Travel Policy
At Cabin Fever Adventures we don’t believe we can protect the planet by simply saying that we love wilderness and that we strive to protect wild places. Of course we love the wilderness, but the bigger question is does the day-to-day operation of our company demonstrate this commitment? At Cabin Fever Adventures we strive to be the Yukon’s industry leader in promoting a earth-friendly business model. We actively engage our company in the preservation of not only the wilderness here in the Yukon, but consider our company an economic vehicle to affect positive change around the planet.
Our Earth-Friendly initiatives are based on the following simple beliefs:
•One person’s happiness can not be build at the cost of another's •One person can change the world by doing things differently, daily •The needs of the earth’s natural systems are the basis for all sound economic decisions when judged over the long-term.
Based on the above stated beliefs, we have instituted the following business practices into the operations of Cabin Fever Adventures.
We Provide an Organic and Fair Trade Food Menu
•Our food menu is as close to 100% organic as possible and we support several Fair Trade organizations through our food purchases as well. To learn more about organic food products please visit our food distributors website www.horizondistributors.com •To learn more about Fair Trade products and benefits please visit www.transfairusa.org
We are a Member of One Percent for the Planet
•One Percent for the Planet is an organization of member companies who donate at least 1 % of their gross revenues to non-profit environmental protection agencies. We are proud to have made this commitment and hope you will check out their site. We Support-Best Practice Local and or Canadian Businesses Partnerships •We support businesses in the following order of priority when it comes to sourcing gear for our company. First we support companies that we feel are conducting best practices for eco-justice and earth-friendly business practices. Next, we support companies that are local to the Yukon, and thirdly we support Canadian manufactured products because as a voter we can at least work towards changes in our own country.
We Challenge the Status Quo Consumer Attitudes Through our Purchasing Decisions
•We maintain our gear very well and believe in using the entire life-span of a product through proper maintenance and repairs. CFA does not get rid of perfectly good gear to satiate the consumer demand to be outfttted in gear that appears to be brand-new. We can not pretend to be true environmental advocates if our concern for the environment is Yukon-specific rather that global in perspective. Unnecessary consumerism is the fundamental lifestyle problem which has placed human existence out of balance with the planet. We need to start operating within our needs, rather than our wants. When a piece of gear no longer does its job properly or will create a significant consequence if it fails in the backcountry than it is first repaired, and if it can not be properly repaired than it is replaced, but not before. We have become skilled in gear repair, and even make some one-of-a-kind items ourselves. We attempt to source gear for our company from like-minded companies who are making significant steps to reduce their global environmental impact.
We Support Agencies Dedicated to Protecting Wild Places and to Improving Transportation Technologies Vital to Tourism
•We donate to the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) and green technologies NGO’S. For more information on the work of CPAWS please visit www.cpaws.org •We donate to the Pembina Foundation. www.pembinafoundation.org The Pembina Foundation for Environmental Research and Education supports innovative environmental research and education initiatives that help people reduce their energy footprint.
We Practice Leave No Trace Camping Practices
•The owner of Cabin Fever Adventures is a certified Master Trainer for The Leave No Trace Centre for Outdoor Ethics. We travel as lightly upon the land as we can so as to leave for the enjoyment of future generations the landscape we hold dear today. To learn more about the principles of LNT backcountry travel please visit www.lnt.org
Day-to-Day Operation of our Physical Plant
We operate Cabin Fever Adventures from our wilderness base-camp and are pursuing numerous efforts to minimize our environmental footprint.
•We personally live a lower-than-average impact lifestyle at our cabin in the wilderness. We live with our family of three in a 480 square foot home (44.6 m2 ) that is also our office for CFA. We function on an average of 15 gallons (56.78 L) of water per day for our entire family, including laundry, cleaning, drinking etc. Our water consumption at home is about one-twentieth the national average for Canada. •We operate an almost paper-less office and we conduct near-paperless interactions with our clients. You will notice that we offer all our information digitally and encourage our customers to embrace communication that avoids the need for paper. •We will soon be investing in a solar energy system for our base camp. •We believe in making our equipment last as long as possible and invest in skills and equipment which allow us to utilize local building materials and waste materials, to operate and or repair our equipment. •We remove our solid human waste from the environment on our busier river routes and dispose of it in sanitation dumps •Our largest environmental impact is our use of fossil fuels for transportation. This is why we actively donate to foundations supporting advances in renewable energy, such as the Pembina Foundation and have chosen to carbon offset all of our tourism products. •We utilize green cleaning dish soaps, cleaning products, and laundry detergents.
About our Trusted Partner
Cabin Fever Adventures offers a variety of wilderness vacations in the Yukon, Southeast Alaska and Northern British Columbia. We operate by the doctrines of ecotourism and are industry leaders in decreasing our environmental impact, not just in the wilderness areas we travel through, but globally through our ethical business decisions. We offer an organic food menu, purchase carbon offsets for our transportation emissions and donate to grassroots environmental protection agencies. If you would like to see the stunning beauty of the Northwest while treading lightly on the planet, then Cabin Fever Adventures is for you. There is only one future and it is shared!
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